Caught! USPS worker who was in 'unspeakable pain' claimed $300k in disability checks for five years while spending his time fishing in Alaska


  • 56-year-old Amacio Zamora Agcaoili Jr accepted $334,000 in disability and worker's comp payments
  • It's claimed every summer between 2009 and 2013 fishing, despite being on disability and in pain
  • He also undertook other forms of work which he failed to report to the government


By Daily Mail Reporter
Published: 16:48 EST, 19 April 2014

The case stems from a lower back injury Agcaoili began receiving Social Security and worker's comp payments for in November 2001 Agcaoili allegedly did additional jobs, including preparing income tax returns and immigration forms, but lied on federal forms and said he hadn’t had other work in order to still qualify for payments.
A former U.S. Postal Service employee in Anchorage was arraigned Friday on charges he accepted at least $334,000 in disability and worker's comp payments while he spent his summers fishing.

The U.S. attorney's office says in a Friday release that 56-year-old Amacio Zamora Agcaoili Jr. was indicted by a federal grand jury on 18 counts, including theft of government funds.

They claim every summer between 2009 and 2013, he went dipnetting and fishing on multiple occasions despite being on disability.



Jailbound? 56-year-old Amancio Zamora Agcaoili Jr. faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted of the 18 counts of fraud he is facing

Agcaoili faces 18 counts, including charges of wire, Social Security and Federal Employees Compensation Act fraud, as well as theft of government funds.

If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in jail.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne Lamoreaux, the prosecutor in the case, says the case stems from a lower back injury Agcaoili began receiving Social Security and worker's comp payments for in November 2001.

The charges say that between about Feb. 12, 2009 and continuing 'until the present,' Agcaoili bilked the government out of at least $334,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne Lamoreaux, the prosecutor in the case, says the case stems from a lower back injury Agcaoili began receiving Social Security and worker's comp payments for in November 2001 Agcaoili allegedly did additional jobs, including preparing income tax returns and immigration forms, but lied on federal forms and said he hadn’t had other work in order to still qualify for payments.



Unspeakable pain: It is claimed that despite his disability, every summer between 2009 and 2013, he went dipnetting and fishing on multiple occasions

He allegedly received money from two federal benefits programs -- the Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation program and the Social Security Administration Disability Insurance Benefits program.
He received the payments 'by engaging in a scheme to defraud the federal government about the nature and extent of his injury and about the other work he was performing and income he was receiving,'.

At a doctor’s appointment in July 2009, the defendant described the pain from his lower back as 'unbearable and constant,' ranging from eight to 10 on a pain scale, according to the indictment.

His suffering was exacerbated by a list of physical activities: sitting, standing, walking and changing weather conditions, he allegedly said. He also reportedly used a cane to walk.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne Lamoureux also claims Agcaoli lied about not working when he was paid for preparing tax returns and immigration paperwork.
Authorities also claim he failed to tell the Social Security Administration about his worker's comp payments, to which he wasn't entitled.



Caught! 56-year-old Amacio Zamora Agcaoili Jr., a U.S. Postal Service worker has been indicted after allegedly collecting a third of a million dollars in benefits.

In the years that followed, Agcaoili was required to report any improvement in his medical condition, and he continuously reported no betterment and shuffled into doctors’ appointments using a cane. He also allegedly continued to fish. Less than a year ago in June, he caught 25 reds and a single king salmon on the Copper River.

All the while, the allegedly uninjured fisherman was cashing monthly workers’ compensation checks, each nearly $3,000. He never informed the Social Security Administration about the payments, the indictment says.

Criminal Division Chief for the District of Alaska Kevin Feldis said the defendant’s actions undermine the integrity of the affected federal programs “and harms all law abiding citizens.

'We are committed to investigating fraud involving federal programs, and to prosecuting theft of government funds in all its forms,' he said.

'Each time someone intentionally defrauds the United States in order to receive federal benefits, such as workers’ compensation and disability payments, it undermines the integrity of those federal programs, and harms all law-abiding citizens,' Feldis said.

The state is cracking down on fraudsters, too, particularly cases involving medical services theft.

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